Barcelona are allegedly keeping a close eye on the progress of Monaco sensation Eliesse Ben Seghir amid their struggles to re-register Dani Olmo with La Liga.
At present, Olmo cannot represent La Blaugrana domestically after the club failed for a third time to register him with La Liga for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.
Barcelona initially ran into difficulties trying to register Olmo last summer due to breaching salary cap regulations, which they worked around by allocating the wages of the injured Andreas Christensen to Olmo.
Now, the Catalan giants are said to have brokered a €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell some of their Camp Nou VIP boxes to a Qatari fund, supposedly presenting La Liga with evidence of that transaction.
However, the governing body is not satisfied that Barcelona has met the necessary regulations, leaving them at serious risk of losing Olmo if claims that he can leave for free due to a clause in his contract are accurate.
Barcelona plotting move for 'Moroccan pearl' Ben Seghir
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Olmo's agent has moved to downplay talk that his client could leave Camp Nou, insisting that the former RB Leipzig man wants to continue at Barcelona no matter what, but it remains to be seen how the registration saga will conclude.
Should La Blaugrana and Olmo be forced to go their separate ways, Goal - via Mundo Deportivo - claims that Hansi Flick's side could try to lure Ben Seghir to Camp Nou as his successor.
The 19-year-old is apparently 'under the magnifying glass' of the Catalan giants, who are pursuing a recruitment strategy focused on youth and also promoting the best talent in the La Masia ranks.
Barcelona have reportedly been following Ben Seghir since he played 70 minutes in Monaco's 2-1 Champions League win over the Blaugrana on September 19, and the teenager previously named two former Catalan stars as his footballing idols.
"Neymar is my role model. I love his freedom and his style of play. All the young players see themselves reflected in him. And, of course, there's Messi , whose ability to overcome an entire team is incredible," Ben Seghir told Onze Mondial.
Who is Barcelona-linked Ben Seghir?
© Imago
Promoted from the Monegasques youth system since joining the club in 2020, Ben Seghir is predominantly a left winger, but the 19-year-old is also comfortable in the number 10 role and as a centre-forward.
Ben Seghir is currently enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the Stade Louis II, banking 11 goal contributions in 23 appearances across all competitions, seven of his own and four assists.
A former France youth international, the 2005-born product has since pledged allegiance to Morocco and was a part of their bronze-medal winning team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A January swoop will be challenging for the cash-strapped Catalans, as Ben Seghir remains contracted to Les Monegasques until the summer of 2027, having extended his contract last January.
Ben Knapton
